About us

The Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF) is a physical sciences research institute at the University of Cambridge. Our interdisciplinary team includes academics, post-docs, PhD students, MPhil and Part III students from across university departments including Earth Sciences, Chemistry, Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Engineering, and Chemical Engineering.

Research

Research at IEEF spans a diverse range of topics, united by a shared motivation: to address real-world challenges and fundamental scientific knowledge gaps through rigorous academic inquiry.

We host a wide range of researchers at the institute, from undergraduate students to highly established professors, in a friendly atmosphere that fosters conversation and collaboration. We offer annual fully-funded PhD scholarships and are always interested to hear from researchers who would like to join us or to learn from us. If you are interested in working or studying at IEEF, please see our list of available roles and projects or contact the relevant member of staff.

Recent Publications

On the thermal drift of an ATES system subject to different heating and cooling loads

Aquifer thermal energy storage systems can provide a heat source in the winter by extracting …

On the growth of chemical gardens

Chemical gardens are self‑assembled structures of semi‑permeable precipitates. They attract significant interest due to their …

On transients in displacement ventilation

Buildings require ventilation to supply fresh, clean air and so ensure that contaminants and heat …

Latest News

PhD student’s video shortlisted in international competition

PhD student Poorya Shaghaghi recently took part in the 2025 International Video Challenge developed by the journal Buildings & Cities and the Academy for …

Registration open for Energy Masterclass

Registration is now open for the 21st Energy Masterclass. This is a two-day intensive meeting of lectures and discussions, with talks from leading experts in …

PhD project on Tidal Power

A new PhD project, fully funded, was advertised for a physical scientist, engineer or mathematician to explore the potential of tidal barrages as a …

Recent Seminars

High-performance materials for hydrogen production

Investigating exsolution of metal nanoparticles is an area of evolving interest. Metal nanoparticles have been found to exsolve from metal oxides in the perovskite …

Decoupling strategies in electrochemical water splitting

The storage of renewably-generated energy as hydrogen via the electrolysis of water is a fundamental cornerstone of a sustainable hydrogen economy. Conventional electrolysers …

Coupling rheology and segregation in granular flows

During the last fifteen years there has been a paradigm shift in the continuum modelling of granular materials, most notably with the development …